According to ESPN.com, both Kirk Muller and Mike Richter will announced their retirements this week. Not too surprising for either, but those guys were damn good hockey players. Even though I hate the Rangers, Ricter has always been one of my favorite goalies in the NHL.

In other news espn.com is also reporting that Oleg Tverdovsky may be playing in Europe this year, instead of returning to New Jersey. I'm wondering if this is due to lack of interest in him by other teams (he was UFA), or if this has something to do with the impending lockout next year.

I first saw Mike Richter play live in 1988 during his stint after the Olympics with the Colorado Rangers of the IHL. I remember I called my brother back in NYC and told him that one day this kid was going to lead the Rangers to the CUP - Thanks Mike - can't wait to see #35 hang from the rafters

Mike Richter was one of the best goalies in the last 20 years. I have enduring (and painful) memories of him defeating Canada in the first World Cup and, worse yet, of him beating my beloved Canucks in the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals. His save of Pavel Bure on the penalty shot in the second period of game four is one that makes my all-time top 10 saves list. Had Pavel scored, the 'Nucks might well have won the Cup that year.

A great goalie and a classy guy. If Richter does indeed retire, he will be greatly missed and not soon forgotten.

I think there are a few players who will try to make one last run this year, and then retire once the predicted lockout happens-Steve Thomas, Doug Gilmour, Steve Yzerman, and probably a few more...I can see a whole bunch of retirements next summer.

Originally posted by BullittAnd one less Don Cherry rant exalting the glorious town of Kingston, Ontario...here's hoping Gilmour retires soon, too.

"Hey Dougie Gilmour...Dougie GILMOUR!"

Quoting my own post is classless, but, then again, so was Gilmour.

Dougie and a "bodyguard" were harassing a buddy's girlfriend at a bar in Halifax back in the summer of '93 while he was in town for a softball tournament. He was piss drunk, fumbling all over her, and simply wouldn't take the hint he wasn't wanted near us. "But I'm Doug fucking Gilmour," he said. Gilmour actually took a swing at my friend Steve and I, then fell down after Steve shoved him.

Originally posted by Big BadI loved Dougie as a Leaf, but let's be honest....he was the cheapest player since Bobby Clarke.

You think? I would have given that one to Ulf Samuelson or Claude Lemieux.

I have somewhat mixed feelings about Gilmour, but I must admit his numbers speak very much for themselves: almost 20 years in the league, just shy of a point-per-game (I saw him listed at 0.96PPG on TSN the other day).

No matter how you get 'em, a point-per-game is nothing to sneeze at.

And I can't think of too many players who could lead a team single-handedly like he did for Toronto in their early 90s runs.

I'm glad to be rid of Gilmour for two reasons....number one, I live in Kingston, where I've actually heard Gilmour's name mentioned as a freaking Hall of Fame player...and number two, I live close to Toronto, where Leafs fans still think it's 1992 and Doug Gilmour is all they need to win a Stanley Cup. Add to that fact that Gilmour is a grade-A prick, and I say good riddance.

My most enduring memories of Gilmour are the Flames Cup win in 89, where I as a spry young lad saw my first live playoff action...and loved every single game of the run to the cup.

And then, there was The Trade. Around these parts, mention The Trade and shivers go up and down any Flames fan's spine. Flames GM Doug Risebrough (also the head coach) was in the midst of a bitter contract dispute, as Gilmour was in the last year of a contract and wanted a raise to stay in Calgary. Also, if memory serves me, Gilmour was bagging Mike Vernon's sister. So, Risebrough said "Fuck it" and called up former Flames GM (and Risebrough's mentor) Cliff Fletcher, then the GM of the Maple Leafs. What followed has lived in infamy ever since. On a quiet day in January 1992, with the Flames well out of the playoff picture, they traded Doug Gilmour, young Kent Manderville, defensemen Jamie Macoun & Ric Natress & back-up goalie Rick Wamsley to the Leafs for Gary Leeman, Alexander Godynyuk, Craig Berube, Michel Petit & goalie Jeff Reese.

The Trade basically made it clear to Flames fans that they didn't feel like trying to run a good team anymore. More importantly, the 91-92 season marked the first time since 1975 that the Flames had missed the playoffs. In years afterwards, Stanley Cup cornerstones Joe Nieuwendyk (1995, traded to Stars for Jarome Iginla & Corey Millen), Al MacInnis (1994, traded with Didier Tremblay to Blues for Phil Housley, Steve Begin & John Tripp), Mike Vernon (1994, traded to Wings for Steve Chaisson), Gary Roberts (1997, traded with Trevor Kidd to Hurricanes for Andrew Cassels & Jean-Sebastien Giguere) & Theoren Fleury (1999, traded with Chris Dingman to Avalanche for Rene Corbet, Wade Belak, Robyn Regehr & Jarret Stoll) were shipped out. Luckily, Doug Risebrough was fired by Flames ownership at the end of the 92 season...but the damage was already done.

Hull moves into the spotlight (1988) -- Back in 1987-88, NHL observers were getting the inkling that Brett Hull was going to follow in his father's footsteps as he scored 26 goals and 24 assists in just 53 games for the Flames. Calgary, building toward a Stanley Cup, needed some veteran help on defense and in goal, so the Flames parted with Hull and forward Steve Bozek, sending them to the St. Louis Blues for defenseman Rob Ramage and goaltender Rick Wamsley on March 7, 1988.

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It's hard to second guess considering they won the Stanley Cup the following year, but I don't see how Rob Ramage is more valuable for a Cup run than a kid who scores 26 goals in 53 games as a rookie.

On a side note, does anyone else remember the year Gary Leeman scored 50 goals? And considering how rarely that happens now, does that fact weird you out the way it does me?